Is tommorow to late?
by TempeGeller
Summary: Melinda's sister disepears. She's 13, and her grandmother murders someone. Booth and Cam have to take her in. Very funny fanfic. Very funny Booth reaction.
1. Chapter 1

Here's a prequel to everything. It shows Brennan, Booth and Cam. It's what happened to Melinda, and shows a secrit that both Melinda and Brennan have no iday of. It will be revealed to them in one of my next fanfictions.

This is the full story. You can review if you love it. Any sugestions what Brennan will do when she finds out, are welcom.

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**1. My sister Selina.**

Small Melinda skipped true the meadow; never had it felt so good to be right there. Melinda's ponytails were hanging loose next to her head. Her little ponytails completed her small face. She was vulnerable, yet strong. Her grandparents were watching her from the terrace, with her little sis, Selina. Actually her big sis Selina. She was born a couple seconds early then her. And yet Melinda seemed to be a couple centimeters bigger. 13 year. They were both 13. Melinda's eyes shined in the darkness.

Their childhood was not that good, as the others. They had spent that with McKay's, when they were 5, the McKay's got divorced. And a year later father Mckay married a woman named Gillian. Melinda and Selina had lived with their adoptive parents until they were 7. That was the age were Gillian and the father died in a rather painful accident. Then they were putted in the foster system, shipped from family to family for 3 years or something. Until their grandparents finally removed them from the system to come and live with them. From then on Melinda closed off from everyone, only keeping eyes for her books. Her future, she called it. Melinda never talked to anyone again. Not even to her own sister. No one could get true to her. For a couple of years. One day everything changed. The girl that never spoke started to talk again. The 12 year old girl seemed to gain life. And skipped around true the meadows, hacked in the woods. All that stuff.

One evening they were all sitting with the fire place. Melinda's eyes were on the TV, playing a skeleton stories.

"I want to be a forensic anthropologist." The girl said while Selina watched her.

"Yes, you could be sweetie." The grand mum replied "You can do anything you want to do." She kissed Melinda's curly hair.

"Where's mum?" Melinda turned to her grandmother "Where's dad?"

The grandmother slowly turned around. "You're parents are. Sweetie, where you're parents are doesn't matter. They left you remember. Social serves took you from us, and placed you with those McKay's."

"But I want to know." Melinda stepped up and blocked her grandmothers pad "I want to know who they were!"

"No one!" the grandfather stood up, yelling at them "You're parents were nobodies, who didn't feel like raising you, and they left you right her, on our stoop. They were not ready for children."

Melinda left the room and curled up in her bed. She cried a little. Unable to believe what her grandparents just told her, had her mother not cared about her and her sister, was it maybe possible that her parents left them when they were just little babies. Had she been wrong about whom she had came from.

Melinda's little sister walked up the stairs. Her eyes were puffy form the movie. ET. It had been a whole new experience. 'E.T. phone home.' Selina's eyes started to puff automatically again. She heard voices from her grandparents' door; carefully she pushed her ear against it.

"Lil, you almost nearly spoke about Ruth and Max. Their parents." Pattrick said while he watched "We agreed on it. I thought we agreed on this case. That Ruth and Max were not suited to parent their daughters. You know we let them take Temperance and Russ."

"I know." Lilliane replied "I know, but everyday, they start looking harder like my Ruthie. As specially Melinda. She's a speaking image of her mum when she was a little girl. How am I supposed to lie to my granddaughters?"

"Lilliane we agreed that those bank robbers were not able to take care of your grandchildren. We were able to take Melinda and Selina away. But we still had to watch Temperance and Russ go." Pattrick yelled "They were not suited to be parents! And you see I'm right. They left their sun and their daughter. And Russ turned his head to his own sister. Putting her in the foster system."

_Who are Russ and Temperance? Who the hell are Ruth and Max? Are they talking about us? Are our parents the one they mentioned? _

"I told you!" Lilliane yelled "I told you, we should take them in. We should have taken them in."

"No!" Pattrick yelled "This is enough! I was not going to blow my cover, and tell everyone that we kidnapped your grandchildren, and pronounced to their parents that they were dead. I'm not going to explain myself;"

_Selina covered her face, she couldn't believe what she heart, did she have a brother and a sister? Did her parents think she was dead? Did she look like her mum? Where were her mum and her dad? And where was that 'Russ' and 'Temperance'. What were they like?_

"Ruth was more then capable of taking care of her daughters!" Lillian yelled out

"Those them bank robbers brought their children in mortal danger!" Pattrick waved his hand next to her head barely hitting her.

_Bank rubbers? Selina thought, her parents were bank rubbers. They stole money for a living. She started breathing faster. Did her grandfather just hit her grandmother? But the yelling went on. _

"They promised they had quiet that they had bettered their life for their children's sake." Lillian cried "They want them, more then anything. And we played God, we've taken them."

Selina started crying. And walked up the stairs crying. Her grandparents had been lying to her and her little twin sis for all this years. For all this year. She just wanted to take her bags, and walk away from them. To find her sister, Temperance. Her brother Russ and her parents. Melinda was fast asleep. Selina watched her.

_You will never understand, Selina thought. _Her eyes were puffy. She stroke her hear away from her sisters head. She couldn't keep her eyes form Melinda's face. What would her mum have looked like?

Would they share their blue eyes? Or the brown hair? Or the slender figure, the both had? Was the intelligence Melinda had gotten, form her mummy or her daddy?

_She will never understand. _Selina thought again. _You will never get true this. _She kissed her sister on the cheek. And opened the window. She sneaked down the wall. And sat down outside. Just a little walk, I'll tell Melinda in the morning. Selina said. Her thoughts despaired in her mind. And it felt like nothing could happen to her.

Melinda snaked out of the sleep by a horrible nightmare. About Selina, gone, kidnapped and left alone. Murdered. She woke up. The window was open. And Selina's bed was not slept upon. She started yelling. Hoping to wake up from this nightmare.

"Sweetie." Liliane entered the room "Shush, it was just a nightmare."

"No." Melinda pointed at Selina's empty bed "She's gone!"

Her grandfather Pattrick walked in the room and saw the empty bed. "Shit!" he yelled. And thrown the door close. Melinda walked behind them.

"Go to your bed!" He put his hand up, and slightly hid her against the face. Melinda's face changed and she ran back to her room crying.

"Did you really need to do that to her?" Lilliane clamed "Does she have to stop talking again?"

"Oh, that little kid. I'm sick of her. Every since they live her, it's all been about them." Pattrick yelled "What about me! Hun, I never asked for a child, I thought that I could protect the children of their parent both clearly I was wrong! Cause Max just got Selina."

Melinda cried softly in her bed, while she heard her grandparents fight about her. She just knew it. She kept her hands in the inside of her bed. Looking out of the window that was still open. Why were they so mad? It was not her fold; she hurt her grandparents yell. And yell. Pattrick was not actually her grandfather. But he had moved in after her real grandfather, Martin had died. She hated Pattrick, and she could feel the feeling was mutual. As especially the way he yelled at her, and at Selina. She didn't want to stay here.

Pattrick had been around for years, even when she was a little baby. Martin was to busy with his work, and couldn't see that his wife was lacking of love. After a couple of months of marriage, and 3 children she had given up the hope for ever getting their relationship in order. And when Ruth was pregnant for a couple of months, Martin felt in a coma after a fatal car accident. He rested in that same coma for over 10 years. A year ago, he got a heart attack, and had died immediately. That was the sign for Pattrick to move in with Lilliane and to make their relationship public. She had taken in the children to, but after Pattrick moved in, he changed. He became violent against the girls, and spacey Melinda who was his point of attack. She didn't dare to say anything. Not even a word.

Pattrick was extra mad this evening, and especially since Selina was missing.

"What?" Liliane stood up.

"They found out" Pattrick yelled "They found out and they kidnapped Selina!"

Liliane kept her eyes closed for a while, not really knowing what he was talking about. About what he was trying to say about her daughter and her sun-in-law. After a couple of minutes it seemed to slip true.

"If it was Ruth, why wouldn't she have take Melinda!" Liliane yelled "If it would have been, Max and Ruth they would have taken her too!"

"I'm not sure, maybe they are coming back to get her!" Pattrick said "Have you had contact with them? Or any of your sisters? Or one of your other daughters, Alma, has Alma called Ruth?"

"No, I'm telling you, no one knows!" Lilliane yelled "No one knows, we haven't mentioned any of this in over 12 years, as long as these girls are alive."

"Then where is Selina?" the grandfather yelled "Where did she go?"

"Maybe she finally stood up for their selves." He hit her in the face, and she slammed down the floor. Falling unconscious. He stood up, and walked to the door, of the little Melinda. Melinda heard the footsteps on the stairs, and climb out of the window. Jumping in the three.

"You get right back here, little lady!" Pattrick tried to grab her feet.

"No!" The little girl yelled at the figure in the window. "I won't come down"

"Get away from me" the 13- year old yelled, and stamped with her feet. In the figure despaired out of the frame. All of the sudden she felt the three, shake.

"Get out there" The father yelled. The little girl trembled all over her body.

"No" She cried.

He started hitting on the three with an ax, Melinda jumped on the window before the tree fell down. Her heart beaded faster. Before she got to the door, he was standing there with the ax in his hands. Melinda screamed it out.

All of the sudden, she heard a shot. Pattrick fell down, dead. After him her grandmother Lilian was standing, with the gun in her hands that just shot her boyfriend.

"No one hurts my granddaughter." Liliane said while she took Melinda in her arms.

In a couple of hours, police was all over the building. Every where. Melinda saw they were looking at the evidence, and found it kind of scary. What had happened all this day? The disappearance of Selina, and the madness of Pattrick. Melinda cried. She lost her big sis. And in some way she would miss having a sibling.

"We've got some questions for you miss" the inspector said "What happened?"

"My granddaughter disappeared. And my husband went insane; he tried to kill my other granddaughter. So I shot him, there was nothing ells I could have done, I swear! He has been abusive of the kids for a while. And I didn't want to see it. He's been away when Mel here was 12, that's when she started talking again. But now, nothing! She hasn't said anything, anymore. It kind of worries me."

"Where are the girls parents?" the inspector asked "Maybe the little girl went to look for them."

"That's not possible, their parents are dead!" she replied.

"Have you considered?" the man walked away from the little girl "That your husband perhaps killed Selina, and was about to kill this Mel."

"No, he was in bed, with me all along." Liliane replied "It's impossible, I know he could not have done, what you're subjecting he would have don;"

"How do you know that, he did not do it?" the inspector replied "You caught him with a ax in his hand, ready to kill your grandchild, and you say that he couldn't have killed Selina."

"Perhaps," Liliane sat down. "But I didn't hear anything."

"Maybe the girl heard something she was not about to hear." the inspector said "He knocked you out, he went to the room to Selina, killed her. And now he wanted to kill Melinda;"

"You go and find my grandchild!" Liliane stood up


	2. Chapter 2

** 2. I'm always here for you.**

"Hey, girl." Cam Saroyan said while she looked at the little girl. "What happened there tonight?"

Melinda turned from the nice lady. Cam was around 25. Newly a cop. And the only one she knew was her boyfriend Seeley Booth.

"So what do we got here, Cam?" 24 year old Seeley Booth entered the room. He had brown hairs, and was toned well. He spent some time as a sniper. But Seeley Booth also taken time to work for the FBI.

"Melinda, 13 years old, her grandmother shot, one Pattrick Middeltone. He had an ax in his hands, ready to kill this little girl. We have reasons to believe that he killed Selina, her twin."

"Hey, girl. So what's your name?" Booth asked her

"You're going to get problems with you back, if you keep walking on those shoes." Melinda said "They dislocate you hipbone, and later you're entire spine. Don't tell me I didn't worn ya!"

"Yeah, thanks." Booth's voice was pretty low, and seemed kind of endangering. "So what happened tonight?"

She didn't say a word. "That's been like this for the last hour. The girl said "zip it!"

"So what can I do to better my back?" Booth asked "If that is the only thing you feel comfortable talking about."

"Well, you could start with wearing shoes that actually fit. I can see those shows are a couple sizes to small."

"Wait a minute," Booth stopped talking for a while "My shoes are perfectly fine. And you know what, what happened to you, is sad. But you can't keep not talking to people, because your grand mum is going to jail, if I don't hear your side of the story. I know this guy scared you, and you miss your sis. But you have to start talking, girl. Otherwise no one is going to talk to you."

"He, Pattrick, was in my room. They were arguing. And he was mad, with grand mum. And then he started yelling and hitting. He had been doing that for a long time." Melinda cried "To me, he just yelled at Selina. He hated me, and then he left, and he came back. And he didn't hit me. When he saw that Selina was gone, he went crazy. And all off the sudden, he had an ax, he wanted to kill me. And then he was dead."

"Are you okay?" Booth sat down to her "how long is he been hurting you?"

"Ever since I was 10, until I was 12." Melinda cried "He said I was a loser, and that I would never make it as an anthropologist."

"Hey, I bet you will be one of the best in your field." Booth smiled at her "I bet every college is waiting for you to get in."

"Are they?" Melinda sat down.

"Yes" Booth said "And me, and Cam, over there, are going to do everything in our power to find your sister."

"My sis, she was watching TV, I didn't hear her go to bed. But they were fighting. After I asked about my birthparents. It's like they were hiding something. They always have been secretive about my real parents;" Melinda sat down. "I'm graduating, High school you know. Hiding for NYU!"

"That's great!" Booth gave her a path at the shoulder.

"Do you think he did it?" Melinda looked at him. "Honestly, do you think he killed Selina?"

Booth looked up to the girl; he didn't know what to say to the girl. Did he need to tell her the absolute truth, which he thought that Selina was murdered with the ax? And buried somewhere. Or did he need to tell her the thing he believed; that the girl had ran away for something that she could not face. Or should he not answer her question at all.

"Hey, kiddo" Booth replied "Your sis, well, we don't know what happened to her. But we will find out, and if he killed her, I will se to it, that you get the truth."

He stepped away from her. To Cam.

"She seems panicked." Cam said while she bit on her pen.

"Well, can you blame her?" Booth replied "The guy waved the ax at her, and fell dead right before her feet, she believe this whole thing is her fold."

"So what do you know about the grandmother, Liliane Ryan?" Cam sat down on her office.

"Nothing much." Booth replied "Married to Martin Ryan, They had 3 children Ruth, Alma and Clara, I believe. What happened to Ruth is not known. Alma still lives in the neighborhood. But she's been reported missing about 3 months. Clara, died a heart attack 3 years ago. And her daughter," He looked at the case file "Leyla Layson Bree, 19 years old, Married to Marexus Brie. A year ago, she committed suicide. Marexus and Leyla, had one child, Tru Brie. Well, Marexus is given up missing, a couple of days ago. He's daughter, Tru, well, social services placed her with a good family. People of the Ryan family started dieing since a year ago. Coincidence, I think not. I believe, or guy Pattrick Middeltone, is not been such a good guy."

"Do you have any proof to back those theories of yours?" Cam asked him

"The kid backs my theories." Booth replied "He's a guy that had a lot of anger in him. For one reason he wanted to keep a secret."

"Booth, she's not a kid. She's a teenage!" Cam replied "and I'm not sure, the guy hits kids, but does that make him a killer?"

"Special agent Saroyan, Special agent Booth." a voice yelled "To my office please."

Both they walked inside of the office. The man that was standing in front of them was a not really young, infect her had a 5 year old daughter. His name was Sam Cullen. Deputy director Cullen. He was Cam and Booths boss. Booth and Cam were nervous, the only time he called them in, was when they had done something wrong or been caught making out during stake out.

"Cam, Seeley." Cullen went on "I think the case of the Melinda Ryan is not going to be so easy after all. The parent of Pattrick Mideltone press charges against Liliane Ryan. They say that there is no way that their sun was violent. They think it was first degree murder."

"And the girl, sir?" Booth stood up "I think it was clear that the girl is talking the truth. The ax, the yelling. He hit the girl for several years. There is no way she would lie about this. And we did find an ax with his fingerprints on the crime scene. I think this is a clear example of self defensive."

"Agent Booth;" Cullen stood up "I have to take every case serious. And this makes as much sense as the story this girl has been telling. Pattrick Middeltone has no criminal record."

"Well, that does not make him innocent." Booth said "No one has prosecuted him. I believe this girl. I can see she's speaking the truth."

"Yes, I have to agree with Booth." Cam replied "Dr. Matthew Sweets is talking to her right now, when he came in, he already determinate her situation. He said that he was almost positive she was not lying."

"Or she's a good actor." Cullen sat down again. "So, Liliane Ryan has been taken in custody until the trial, which will be in 2 weeks, until then the girl should stay with someone. I think you should take her in."

"What!" Cam stood up "We are working full time, how we can take care of a 13 year old!"

"Yes, sir, with all due respect, I don't think we are the once who should take her in our home." Booth replied "We don't know this girl."

"Agent Booth, Agent Saroyan." Cullen went on "It was not a request. This is an order."

"But sir, would the girl not feel more comfortable with family?" Booth asked

"Well, perhaps." Cullen said "But in case you didn't know, Lilian is the only family she's got left!"

"What about the foster system?" Cam asked "It could work; I mean she'll be taken in by strangers."

"I don't think so," Cullen replied "And I want to keep following this girl, I want to know if she's been lying. And if she is, she'll tell you."

"So you want us to spy on her." Booth said "No way, this girl has been trough enough. I'm not doing it."

Melinda sat down after Matthew finished talking to her. His 14 year old son, Lance Sweets was sitting right next to her. He was rather childish.

"Boo!" Lance said. His brown curly hair was long. He was about a meter big. He was wearing dorky clothes. And you could see that he was the nerd. Melinda didn't smile at him.

Melinda hit him gently on the shoulder. Lance genteelly stroke her shoulder. And putted his arm around her, in a way she felt not comfortable with.

"Stop it!" Melinda yelled "I'm not your girlfriend!"

She stood up, sat down at the other side of the room, next to another young boy, somewhere around 16. With books on Forensic anthropology. He had blue eyes, and beautiful dark eyes. The sweetest eyes she'd ever seen.

"My name is Melinda" She said while she gave him her hand. He looked shyly at her, not knowing what to do.

"Zach." He said quietly.

"So why do you read that stuff?" Melinda asked him

"Oh, I'm a major in Forensic anthropology. I was first pre-med, but later I majored in the anthropology. My minor is Archaeology." Zach told her "And you?"

"Well, Graduating high school!" Melinda replied "I dream about being a forensic anthropologist."

He smiled at her.

The door of the office swing open, Cam and Booth left the office mad. They passed the girl.

"Melinda you're going with us!" Booth said to the girl.

"What?" The girl stood up and walked behind her. "I mean why?"

"Long story short!" Cam stepped in the car "You're grand mum is on trial for killing Pattrick, as long as the court case lasts, You are our responsibility. We are taking you to our apartment; we are taking care of you. And you are going to school right here."

"What?" Melinda reacted "I can't go to school here."

"Yes, you are." Cam replied "You are starting in second year junior high tomorrow."

"What?" Melinda replied "I'm graduating with in a week. I've passed my exams, and you are asking me to go to junior high. I've been accepted in NYU and you…"

Cam looked back at her. "Okay, didn't know you were graduating. I thought you were the normal teenage girl, starting junior high. I had not idea; I was dealing with Einstein here."

"What makes you say I'm not normal?" Melinda yelled "I could be more normal then you."

"You are what I call a squint!" Booth replied

"What?" Melinda said "Do you feel inferior, because I happen to have a higher IQ."

"I'm starting to believe Cullen." Booth replied "You are a pain in the ass!"

"Well, and I hate you" Melinda replied "Stop right here, I want to get out."

Booth looked at her in the driver seat, trying to open the door, but she wasn't' able to. The car passed down a very busy street in middle of DC.

"No, can do." Booth replied "As long as you're grandmother is in custody, you're not going anywhere. We have to take care of you, and dam it, we are going to."

"Why can't I just stay with family?" Melinda said while she opened the window.

"Cause you got not family left!" Cam yelled "Don't you think we like this. We don't want to take care of you, you know the thing I'd like to do, is let Seeley stop right here, and throw you out of the car. But if I do that, I'll be looking for a job!"

"Seeley, what a stupid name!" Melinda replied

"Teenager!" Booth yelled


	3. Chapter 3

3. Taking care of a child 101 (What not to do)

Melinda was on her bed, with her dairy in her hands. Crying. She had been mean to both Cam and Seeley. But to be honest, it was the only thing she feel comfortable doing. Coming up for herself. Not letting someone walks all over her. Not that Cam and Seeley had tried that. She just reacted defensive the very first second she got in that car.

'_Dear diary' _she wrote '_I have a bad feeling about this situation, about everything. My sis is been missing for 24 hours almost, and everything I have been able to do, is yell at this people, who are trying their best to take care of me. The truth is they are not so bad. It's me, it's always me. Selina was the best off us, and now everything I got left is, my grandmother. Who's in jail, for protecting me? Pattrick is crazy. I've told that cop, what he's been doing with me all this years. And I don't know if that was right to do. Maybe it was my fold? Maybe I am the one to blame. Today, in the office, I met this boy, I believe his name was Zach, He was nice. I bet I'm never going to see him again. And that boy next to me, Lance Sweets I believe his name was, was totally creepy; I bet he's a shrink's sun. _

_Things to do: _

_-Be nice at Seeley Booth and Cam Saroyan, they are the once that are going to look after me._

_-Probably act like a total teenager._

_-write in my dairy. (I can't forget that, can I?)_

_-Find my sis_

_Much kisses, Meli. '_

She lay the dairy down behind her Putted her head on the pillow and fell asleep. In a sleep with not dreams or nightmares.

"Get up!" She heard in the early morning. Cam Saroyan was standing next to her bed.

Melinda stirred in her bed. In a very bad mood like always. Cam pulled the sheets of her. Melinda pulled them pack, and pulled them over her face.

"Not yet!" She yelled.

"Not yet" Cam stood next to her bed "It's 6 in the morning. You have to get up."

She got out of the bed, slowly walking towards the bad room. Cleaning herself up. She walked towards the table, sitting down on it.

"Good morning sunshine;" Cam said "Did you sleep okay?"

She didn't feel like saying anything. She hadn't slept well, she had all kinds of nightmares, and they did not go away. She just stared in front of her. She didn't eat anything.

"What's up with her?" Booth asked

"I believe she's being difficult." Cam replied "You know how teens are."

"Actually you don't, because you probably never were teens." Melinda said sarcastically "Or are you still landing for that period in life, because that has a name, its called midlife crisis."

"You listening to me young lady." Booth stood up "We are going to be nice to you, and in return we accept the same from you."

"How old do you think I am? 5?" Melinda yelled.

"Yeah, and not a day over it!" Cam said yawning "I think we should ground you."

"You're not my parents, so you can't ground me. I do what I want." Melinda looked up to the sealing. The mean thing was coming so natural, like yelling at 'Cam' was easier then being nice to her. And she actually promised to herself, that she'd be nice today. Only she could not seem to succeed.

"You know what." Booth stood up "You are a little spoiled brad that got beaten up, because she was being difficult. See the guy hit you for being annoying little brad!"

Melinda sat down. He was not right; she was not that difficult normally. She was just having a hard time, missing Selina, worried about her grandmother and afraid in the new environment. And now the FBI agent was yelling at her. Was she a spoiled brad? Or was it just everything working on her. Why did it feel so natural for her to drive other people insane, and how long had she been ignoring this part, hidden between her cells.

"Booth!" Cam yelled while she saw that the girl was walking of the table. "We are supposed to take care of her, not torn down her confidence."

"Yes," Booth stood up "Because otherwise it's our relationship going down. I feel the pressure this kid is putting on us."

"Booth, she's 13, she just lost her sister, Pattrick almost killed her. Her grandmother is in jail, she's not been talked to for years. This kid finally gets the attention she need, and she doesn't know how to handle it. She pushes us away, because she thinks that everyone that loves her is going to leave. And now you pushed guilt upon her, that Pattrick hitting her was her own fold." Cam folded her arms around his waist. "And you remember how you used to be, your father, he was a lot like Pattrick. I'm just saying, the thing you went true, she's going true, maybe even worst. Her sister's dead. God knows what happened to her parents. She saw someone die, you ought to be traumatized."

"I don't think she's traumatized." Booth replied "I think this kid is to for gone, to be possible "traumatized. This kid went over the border, to Looney vile."

"Booth!" Cam said "What this kid says is really getting to you, isn't it?"

"Yes" Booth turned around to her and kissed her the nose "I thought I was going to be such a great dad, and I really saw myself as cool and understanding. This girl makes me feel like crap."

"Welcome to parenting." Cam said "Booth, you can't expect yourself to bond with the child. She's not normal. Like you say she's a squint."

"You see that," Booth stood up "She's a teenager, why the hell is she graduating. Don't tell me because she's intelligent. If I were her parents, I would let her socialize."

"Booth, just." Cam sighed "Just calm down. We'll get true to her. We got to get to work."

"Don't we need, a b.;" Booth wanted to say

"No Booth." Cam said while pulling at is arm "the kid needs to think."

The drive to the office was quiet; Cam didn't feel like talking to Booth, about anything, not even about the teenager in their apartment. They arrived at the office. A woman was sitting in their office.

"It's doctor Temperance Brennan." A cop said "Good luck to you guys."

"Not another squint." Booth whispered to Cam

"Dr. Temperance Brennan." Booth said "My name is Seeley Booth; this is Special agent Cam Saroyan. Nice to meet you."

"Yes" She sat down once again "I'm here with the identities of the bones on the Ryan properties.

Identified as Alma Ryan, Lilliane Ryan's daughter. She was hit on the head, the murder weapon leans back to exactly the same murder weapon; we need further investigation to determine the size of the killer. But probably male.

Marxus Brie, husband of Tru Brie, I believe, Leyla is also related to the Ryan's, it was her grandchild. She was shot with a gun; I haven't determent the bullet yet. I also determent, that this one, was not dead for such a long time.

Syntia, Caurtinga, We don't see the value to this victim. She didn't have an obvious contact true DNA, so she was not family, we don't know if she could have known the victim.

And finally, Francento Middeltone, He's Pattrick's little brother, strangled to death. Pattrick's little brother went missing 9 years ago, after Jamy and Reese Middeltone died, probably to get his part of the money. They were the grandparents. And Middeltone Pattrick, used the money to buy a nice house in Boca.

But most important, we didn't find a small little girl, 13 years old, no bones that could match those things. It could be that she was dumped outside the properties, but that seems really impossible. And we found some kind of evidence, a goodbye not, signed with Selina."

"The girl" Booth replied "So the girl hears something, runs away. Doesn't make sense?"

"Why not?" Dr. Brennan asked "The girl gets mad of the violent behave of Mr. Middelton and runs."

"No, cause she would have taken her sister. Who was being hit by the father, why would she leave her behind, for a place where she was trying to run from?" Seeley looked outside the window.

Brennan stood up. "If you need anymore information, I work at the Jeffersonian." Brennan said "My team works there."

Booth looked behind her, he had to be honest. If he was not dating Cam, he would defiantly just ask out the squint Temperance Brennan, she was cute, a little shy and sweet. Yet, she was a real squint.

"There's a witness, she's one off the neighbors of the Ryan's." a man said.

Cam and Booth walked in the dark room, the woman was sitting on a chair. Booth stepped in and sat down on the chair. Cam sat down next to him;

"Special agent Seeley Booth, this is Special agent Cam Saroyan."

"I Kathy Caurtinga, my sister was Synthia Caurtinga**" **The woman said

"I'm so sorry for your loss. How do you know the Ryan's?" Booth said

"I know Lilian for a long time, my sister Synthia she used to baby sit Selina and Melinda, Selina was a real sweet kid. Melinda was not really a kid, she was reading all the time, you know things about bones, murder novels. A real weird kid. Not like Liliane, and definitely not like her mum, Ruth. She was not like Ruth."

"Ruth?" Booth asked

"Yeah, Ruth Ryan, she was Melinda's mum, and Selina's off course. Never know what happened to Ruth, tough. Well, the kids went to the McKay's, and after a while they moved in with Liliane."

"What was going on with Melinda?" Booth asked "Was Pattrick mean to her?"

"Yes, very cruel to her. He yelled a little to Selina, but she was able to talk back at her. Melinda, tough, she was brought up like that. You know those 3 years in the foster system hurt her more, then she releases. But you know Liliane couldn't even talk to Melinda, I think because physically she's a speaking image of her mother."

"Her mother?" Booth asked

"So you would say that the kid was not looked at?" Cam asked her

"Well, it that is how you name it. Liliane, didn't care about Melinda. Not at all, I mean she read as much as Ruth. She saw Ruth in Melinda. Pattrick yelled at her, hit her. God know what he did to that poor kid. Liliane is not suited to take car of Melinda, Melinda needs someone that take cares of her. Liliane just pretended she was not there. Until she became 12, then Pattrick left for a while. Melinda got a kick out of almost graduating, and she started talking. When Pattrick came back, Liliane said to keep his dirty hands of her grandchild, Melinda. And that is what he did."

"How would you subscribe Pattrick Middeltone?" Booth stepped up

"A creep." Kathy replied "To his whole neighborhood. He was a mean man, real mean. He only cared about himself. I'm glad Liliane shut him."

"Do you think Liliane needs to get custody about Melinda again?" Cam asked her

"I'm not sure," Kathy replied "The woman is the only family she's got left. But Melinda needs to find a stable family. Maybe Liliane is the only stable family she's got left."

"Is there a possibility that Lilliane and Melinda are lying?" Booth asked "That both of them made up this story."

"No, it's impossible to use Melinda in that kind of way." Kathy replied "She couldn't get trough to the girl, not even if she tried. It was because she was not trying hard enough. She felt like she saved Melinda, saved my ass. I think they would have been better of with Ruth. Ruth would have known how to take care of Melinda, if Ruth would have been her, we wouldn't have this kind of misery."

"Thanks." Booth said, and both Cam and Booth walked out of the room."

Booth and Cam sat next to echoer on the sofa, staring in trough the windows. Booth was slowly trying to read the case file Temperance Brennan had left behind.

"He's our man." Booth said "I'm almost sure Pattrick Middeltone had killed all of those people. He tried to kill the little girl."

"Oh." Cam was brought back out a nice daydream. "I'm just thinking." Cam looked in front of her, in Seeley's dark brown eyes. "She must have felt, so bad, all the time. Liliane was not willing to get to know her own grandchild, and only spend time with Selina, no way she's so hostel."

"Yeah," Booth replied "The kid was ignored for all this years; she doesn't know how to handle living people anymore. Only that boy in the waiting room of the FBI, Zach Addy, I believe."

"Zach Addy, he's a graduate student in forensic anthropology, no wonder she likes him." Cam said

"I need to get true this kid." Booth replied "I need to understand her, what's going trough her mind, so her grandmother can take car of her again."

"Booth, I'm not sure, if that woman is suppose to take care off this kid again" cam said "You see were if had gotten her."

"Yes, but she's only family she's got left." Booth said.

Booth and Cam stepped in the car, driving over the busy roads in DC, driving to their apartment. The door to the terrace was open. Booth panicked. She wouldn't have jumped he thought. He rushed to the guest room, which Melinda had claimed as her room for a while. There was no one in there. Cam entered the room panicked.

"She's no where Booth." Cam replied "I think we just lost our foster child."


	4. Chapter 4

4. The missing foster child

"How could you loose her?"' Cullen yelled

"I'm sorry sir, we left her in the apartment, and she was gone when we came back." Booth said "She was already graduated, so we left her, so she could relax a little."

"And is that when she got away, true the door. She closed it behind her, and she went, god knows where." Cullen stood up "God damn it, Agent Booth, she's a witness in a murder case."

"What sir, I beg you pardon." Booth stood up "Murder? It was self defense! He killed at least 4 other people he wanted to kill Melinda, she did what she had to do."

"I would normally agree with that, if the Middeltone were not just the riches family in town, they got a lot of power, and they also have a lot of people working for them. I can't just turn my backs to the most powerful man in town, plus, one of them is a senator." Cullen explained.

"So, you are going to ignore a 4 murder, get a woman in jail, because the most powerful family in DC is on the stand." Cam said "This is about a little girl that disappeared. 4 persons that were murdered. And a little girl he abused for several years, and you are actually going to put Liliane Ryan in jail."

Cullen didn't say a word; instead he sat down one again.

"And, Melinda?" Booth asked "What about Melinda?"

"The family says that the girl is mentally disabled." Cullen said "Sending her to some institution for mental handicapped."

"What?" Booth stood up "Sir, you can't do this; that girl is one of the brightest, smarts, kids, and you are planning to put her in an institution."

"The family claims that she's not able to take care of herself!"' Cullen replied

Booth stood up. "Have you seen this girl? She's a squint. That's no crime; she's going to NYU, a full scholarship. And you of the Bureau of madness think that this girl is crazy. She's not crazy. She's traumatized. And I don't care if I have to take this kid in, in order she would get the future she deserves, and not the future, some rich family wants for her."

"Booth!" Cam whispered

"I don't care Cam!" Booth stood up and looked at him "you haven't taken a look to this kid or that woman Liliane. I have spoken to some witnesses. They all agree that Mr. Middeltone was a complete and total freak, and that he hit the little girl. I don't care if you fire me! But you can't take the opinion of a rich family over all this witnesses."

Booth walked out to the office, and bumped to Temperance Brenan who falls to the ground.

"I'm so sorry. " Booth said while he took her hand and helped her back on her feet.

"Thanks," She said while she looked in his eyes.

"It's been a busy day; Cullen insists the girl is crazy. He wants to put a genius kid of 13, who graduated and wants to attend NYU in an institution." Booth said "And he wants to convict the woman with murder."

"I think I got something, that's going to make you very happy." Brennan said while she got her laptop out of her bag. "Alma Ryan's autopsy showed sings of rape, by a man. We used the DNA of the sperm, to identify the killer."

"And?" Booth looked at her.

"Pattrick Middeltone." Temperance replied "The same thing was for Synthia, he raped and killed her. I wouldn't be surprised if he had rape the little girl Melinda."

"That books the guy, right?" Temperance nodded slowly.

"I'm not done yet." Temperance replied "We found the gun, it belonged to Pattrick Middletone. And better, he killed him. There was a fingernail, in all of the bodies, I think it's his autograph or something, but Pattrick Middeltone's DNA, you can book him. He's our guy."

"But that still doesn't back our case. It still puts Liliane in jail, and Melinda in an institution." Booth replied

"I don't know." Brennan said "I'm not so good with psychology, but this guy killed this entire people and raped them, that removes that point that he was not violently I expect. I mean, I think, I'm just a graduate student."

"No, you're right." Brennan walked away. "Hey, where would you go if you were her?"

Brennan turned around "Perhaps to see my grandmother."

Brennan walked out of the room. He smiled.

Booth stepped in his SUV, he drover around in the DC, first he hit to the jail, was the grand mum was, but he didn't find her on the way. After that he drove to the park. He walked in the park. He saw a little figure by the fountain.

"I found you" Agent Booth said "You scared us."

"I just wanted to get out." Melinda replied "The inside of the apartment, was driving me insane."

"I get it." He sat down next to her.

"I think we got a wrong start." Booth said "My name is Seeley Booth. I was a sniper."

She looked at him.

"And is she your wife?" Melinda asked "I mean Cam off course; you seemed more like a guy that dates, what you call them squints."

"You know why I call them squints." She shook her head. "Cause they squint a things."

Melinda laughed, a silly laugh yet it seemed sweet. "I'm sorry about what I've said to you, Pattrick had not right. Has he even done more then hit you? Did he hurt you in other ways?"

"No, he didn't do anything ells." Melinda said "

"Has anyone ever just talked to you like this?" Booth asked

"Yes, Synthia." Melinda replied "But not much. No one liked me."

"I think you are a sweet kid, if you're not going to act like a total teenager." Booth replied "So University." He putted his fingers in front of him. "What are these?"

"Phalanges, obviously, actually the couple first ones, then there metatarsus, and tarsus." Melinda replied "In your fingers, only. That's all I learned form the books."

"Yeah, I would have been glad, if you called it fingers." Booth smiled

"How old are you anyway?" Melinda asked "You don't look a day over 20;"

"Well, I've killed my chair of people." Booth replied "when you're a sniper."

"I know." Melinda replied "My adoptive father Andrew Mckay was a sniper. He said killing people feels empty. I have no idea what he was talking about, but I remember the look he had in his eyes, the same look you're having right now."

Booth turned his face in the other direction. "A pain, guilt." Melinda went on "Something no sane person should have to live with."

"Hey, are you okay?" Booth asked "My father he was a drunk, he was aggressive. Me and my brother had to deal with it. I know what you're going trough."

"You do?" Melinda throws a little stone in the fountain. "What am I going to do, if she gets convicted for murder, where am I suppose to go? Back in the foster system. I have no family left, now Alma is dead. No one knows where my parents are, or who they are."

"I could take care of you." Booth lay down on the grass "I couldn't offer college, but you've got a full scholarship, I'll get custody, and you could go to NYU or Harvard, or Yale."

"NYU, has a better program for Anthropologist, Harvard is perfect if you're going with a pre-med major." Melinda smiled

"So NYU?" Booth laughed "Why?"

"My grand mum went to NYU. For a couple of months." Melinda replied "She says it's the best school in the entire stat, and further."

"Why not Quantico?" Booth asked "I heard it's an amazing university."

"If you're planning to join the bureau." Melinda laughed "I'm not someone with a gun and a badge. I have a passion for science, always had. When I was 6, I dissected a rat on the kitchen floor, off course Gillian turned out to be very mad. Expect a year later she died. I had to clean the kitchen for a couple of months, the next time I dissected anything, and it was a mouse."

"Well, you're not a normal kid." Booth replied "You were weird to be honest."

Melinda laughed for a couple of seconds. And she sat down on the ledge of the fountain.

"I'm going to get your grandmother out of jail." Booth replied 'Even if it's the last thing I'll be doing. I will find a way to punish Pattrick for what he did."

"Thanks." Melinda said.

"Careful." Melinda heard someone yell, all of the sudden a baseball came out of nowhere, and pushed Booth in the fountain. He picked up the ball, and swung it back to the kids. Melinda was laughing on the ledge, Cam walked over to them.

"You found her!" Cam yelled in relieve and hugged the 13 year old girl. "What the hell are you doing in that fountain?"

"Swimming!" Booth said while he pulled her in her fountain.

"Seeley!" She yelled "You can't do that."


	5. Chapter 5

5. Melinda Emmanuelle Joy Caitlin Ryan

Sitting in the courtroom next to the Booths made her feel scared, scared to loose her grandmother. She saw her on the other side of the room, giving her a little smile that everything would be fine. Not just fine, everything would be okay. But at the other hand, the 13 year old could not believe her own grandmother. How could she get out this situation? And what would happen to her? Was Seeley Booth serious about taking her in his home and his family? Would anyone choose to take care of her, knowing what they know? Melinda stared at the parents of Pattrick; she could only imagine what kind of people they were. Rich people, people who thought they were better then one another. And if they wanted it, they could make someone disrepair without the towns knowledge, just like what happened to Alma Ryan, her aunt Alma. Alma stopped visiting. Melinda thought she was mad with her, and had not worried. The same went for Synthia.

Was that what happened to Selina, did they make her disappear? A woman with dark hair was sitting on the stand right now; she was some kind of artist. She had done the facial reconstructions, her name was Angela Montenegro. Angela Montenegro was a freelance artist, who jumped from job to job, and had taken the job as a transition period. Her friend Temperance Brennan had asked her to work there and she didn't want to disappoint her. She talked slow, but Melinda couldn't make out what words she was saying, about the victim. On the first line was Seeley Booth with his girlfriend Camille. Next to her was a male scientist, an entomologist Melinda knew. He was kind of famous, and mysterious. His name as Jack Hodgins, Melinda always loved his free thinking on science, and his young age definitely was not bad side. Next to them was her all time favorite anthropologist. Temperance Brennan. She almost felt like yelling. 'The' Temperance Brennan!

Right now she calmed down a little. A man stepped on the stand. It was the psychologist who talked to her, when she was with the police.

Caroline stood up. She was the lawyer for the Middeltones. And definitely determent to win this case.

"Dr. Sweets, what was your conclusion on the state of mind of Melinda Ryan?"

Dr. Sweets looked over to the jury. "I know what you want to apply, that this kid is has a mental disability."

Melinda was chocked 'Me a Looney, no way! She was rather mad; someone would think that, she was quiet, intelligent, but not crazy.

Sweets went on. "But I have to disagree with that, Melinda Ryan is in a state of mind where she's absolutely aware of the world around her. She was not lying, her story is completely true."

"You saw her after a hush situation, but Mr. and Mrs. Middeltone assured me that she always acted that way."

"I can't let them say this." Agent Booth jumped up.

"You'll get a chance to tell them agent Booth!" the judge said.

"I can honestly tell you that you're wrong about that. She is a normal teenager, unless the fact she has a high IQ. She's smart." Dr. Sweets replied "And I can assure you that Mr. Pattrick Middeltone was a violent man, maybe his parents never saw that side of him. We have over 30 witnesses who claim that he was violently. And the fact that he's guilty of 4 murders. And the fact that the story of Melinda Ryan is true."

"No more questions." Carolina sat back down.

The other lawyer got up fast. "Dr. Sweets, do you think that Liliane Ryan is guilty of murder?"

"No!" Dr. Sweets replied "That is something I know for sure. This was a way of protecting her family. She's no violent person, she's a caring grandmother. Although I don't think she should take care of Melinda Ryan, in my study it became clear that Liliane Ryan did not gave the girl enough attention. What made it for her hard to see what was going on with the girl. I believe someone should take care of her, who can listen to her. I found the stay with special agent Booth and Saroyan; the girl got the attention she needed. She needs a loving caring family."

She didn't pay attention for a while. When she opened her eyes again, Agent Booth was speaking on the stand. That Caroline just asked him about her.

Booth looked at her. "I have taken care of Melinda for 2 weeks. And I can say, what the prosecutions says about her, it's not true. She's one off the sweetest, happiest girls I ever met. I know what it's like. And if it were me, I wouldn't be able to pull myself true, she did that. Yes, her grandmother lost view on her. But should she be taken away from her only family. No. She is not lying. I knew that from the very first moment I saw her. And if her grandmother goes to jail, I'll be seeing to it, that this kid goes to the university, and not an institution. How much times have you seen this kid. One time. How can you judge someone, like that? My first impression on the girl was wrong, and maybe yours is to. Pattrick Middetone was a bad guy that disserves to be remembered as a bad guy. But no one should be convicted for his dead."

A couple moments later it became very quiet, as Melinda stood up the stand. Caroline stepped in front, Melinda could see the guilt in her eyes, she could see that Caroline didn't want her grandmother to be convicted.

"Mel, can you tell us what happened?" The girl went true the story fast. All eyes were on her. She could feel her grandparents staring back. She looked at them.

"I don't believe Pattrick killed Selina" She said as a slot "But he did kill this other entire people. He was a bad person. A really bad person. And that is not to blame to the once who raise him."

No one didn't say anything for another hour, when the judges decides what would be the verdict. Melinda felt like time was not moving fast. It was like it was standing still. Booth was sitting next to Cam; she had felt their relationship hadn't been that good. Booth had spent a lot of time with her, and almost no time with Cam. And she felt that their relationship was under a lot of pressure, pressure she was not sure their relationship could take. And for some reason she felt responsible. Booth told her, that they would get true this, which they always did. But Melinda herself felt that the relationship was not that easy. She could tell.

The judge stepped out of the door. He sat down. Took the little hammer, and punched on the wood. Everyone stood up, and sat down once again.

"Court is open." the judge said "Will the defended, Liliane Ryan stand up please. We the court of Washington DC, say Lilian Ryan are not guilty. It was an obvious case of self defense. Liliane Ryan, you are free to go. Over the custody, Liliane Ryan will keep the custody over the girl. We see that she loved her, and can take care of her."

"Grand mum!" Melinda said while she fell in her arms. Liliane hugged the girl. She felt blessed with such a great granddaughter, at the same time she still saw Ruth in her.

"I missed you so much." Melinda went on.

"Thank you" Liliane said to Booth who turned around "I can see you got trough to her. Better then I ever could. Probably her mother would have done the same thing."

"Don't worry." Booth said "She's a great kid."

"See, I would say, I knew that. But I didn't" Lilliane replied "I didn't get to know her, not like Selina. It's because of her mother, she looks so much like her mother."

Melinda fell in Booths arms. "I'm going to miss you" She said "And you too Cam." She fell in the arms of the woman that had taken care of her all this time.

"I'm sure we'll meet again." Booth said while crying. "Perhaps, you'll even works with us."

"Perhaps." Melinda said. She and her grandmother walked out of the court.

A couple of weeks later she entered college. Booth and Cam broke up after a painful fight, about children. He went back to being a sniper. And he forgot everything about Melinda Ryan and the case. 4 years later he quitted being a sniper, and rejoined the bureau. He then met Rebecca.


End file.
